Portable oil well derrick splice connection



July 11, 1961 'H. J. 'WOOLSLAYER ETAL PORTABLE OIL WELL DERRICK SPLICE CONNECTION Filed Nov. 9, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR;

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PORTABLE OIL-WELL DERRICK SPLICE CONNECTION Filed Nov. 9, 1954 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0144158 mph/ v X g'g flow, 4km e244 y um,

United States Patent 2,991,853 PORTABLE OIL WELL DERRICK SPLICE CONNECTION Homer J. Woolslayer, Charles D. Iddings, and Paul E.

Borg, Tulsa, Okla., assignors to Lee C. Moore Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania v 7 Filed Nov. 9, 1954, Ser. No. 467,725

3 Claims. (Cl. 189-15) This invention relates to portable oil well derricks, and more particularly to the splice connections between separable components of such 'derricks.

To splice together the components of a portable derrick, such as the mast and gin pole or the prefabricated sections of the mast alone, large splice pins frequently are used to avoid a multiplicity of smaller connections. These pins are driven through holes in the overlapping portions of adjoining components by means of a maul or large hammer, which requires the use of both hands. This is hazardous when the workman has uncertain footing and is working at a considerable height.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide an oil well derrick splice connection that can quickly and easily be made or separated by a workman using only one hand.

In accordance with this invention, a pair of separable components of a portable oil well derrick, such as the mast and gin pole, are provided with overlapping portions having registering holes therethrough for receiving a splice pin. The pin is slidably mounted in means, such as a sleeve, secured to the gin pole or mast, but it cannot be rotated in the sleeve. A jack screw has one end threaded in the inner end of the pin. A ratchet mounted on the screw is adapted to be oscillated to turn the screw and thereby move the pin axially either into or out of the holes in the overlapping portions of the components. Preferably, wherever possible, there are two axially aligned pins that can be moved in opposite directions simultaneously by a jack screw having right and lefthand threads.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a fragmentary rear view of a portable oil well derrick, showing our splice connections between the mast and gin pole;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged end view of a connection;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged rear view of the connection, partly in section;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line IVIV of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a reduced side view of the derrick.

Referring to FIG. 5 of the drawings, a derrick gin pole A is mounted on a substructure or base B of any suitable form. The gin pole has upwardly converging front and rear legs 1 and 2, respectively. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper ends of the front legs are provided with rearwardly projecting vertical plates 3, the lower portions of which are received in bifurcated brackets 4 secured to the upper ends of the rear legs. The plates and brackets are pivotally connected together by pins 6, so that when the rear legs are disconnected from the base they can be swung forward against the front legs. Pivotally mounted on the base in front of the gin pole are the front feet of a mast C (FIG. 5). The front legs 7 of the mast extend upward to the top of the mast. The back legs 8 of the mast, however, do not extend down to the base but terminate at the top of the gin pole. Inclined braces 9 connect the lower ends of the mast back legs to the lower ends of its front legs.

Projecting rearwardly from the bottom of the back of the mast are laterally spaced forks forming vertical tongues 11. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, each fork straddles a tongue 12 projecting forward from the top of the gin pole. There may be two or more sets of these overlapping tongues, FIG. 1 showing two sets at each side of the mast because the lower portion of each back leg of the mast is divided into two parts, with a fork at the lower end of each part. The tongues are all provided with registering holes, through which the outer ends of large splice pins 13 extend to fasten the mast to the gin pole. The inner ends of each pair of pins are slidably mounted in the outer ends of horizontal tubular means,

such as a pair of axially spaced sleeves 14 and 15, welded to a long bracket 16 that is secured to the bottom of the back of the mast beneath its rear legs. The pins are hollow for most of their length and their inner end portions are provided with internal threads.

Screwed into each pair of splice pins is a long jack screw 17 that has right-hand threads at one end and lefthand threads at the other end. A ratchet 18 of conventional construction is mounted onthe screw in the narrow space between the two sleeves. The ratchet is provided with a socket 19 for receiving a removable handle (not shown), so that the ratchet can be oscillated about the screw. When this is done the screw is turned in whichever direction the conventional direction controller 20 has been set for. The pins are prevented from turning with the screw because they are held against rotation in the sleeves. Where cylindrical pins and sleeves are used, it is preferred to cut a longitudinal groove 22 in the outside of each pin for slidably receiving the inner end of a set screw 23 threaded in the side wall of the surrounding sleeve. A nut 24 on the screw locks it in position. The screw 17 cannot move lengthwise any appreciable distance, because the ratchet will strike one or the other of the plates 25 welded to the inner ends of the sleeves. Consequently, when the screw is turned by the ratchet, the pins are drawn back into the sleeves or are projected therefrom, depending upon which way the screw is turned.

With the kind of connection disclosed herein, a workman can drive the splice pins into place by merely operating the ratchet with one hand. That leaves his other hand free to hold onto the derrick so that he will not fall. It also is much easier to drive or retract the pins with the ratchet and screw than with a large hammer. Furthermore, the sleeves support the pins in position for driving as soon as the mast is pulled up against the gin pole. The pins are permanently connected with the mast and cannot become lost.

Although the invention has been described as useful for connecting a mast to the top of a gin pole, it will be understood that it also can be used to splice the prefabricated sections of the mast together, such as at splices 30 in FIG. 5.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle of our invention and have illustrated and described what we now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, we desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

We claim:

1. An oil well derrick splicing device holding perforated overlapping derrick components together, comprising a splice pin extending through said overlapping components, retaining means secured to one of said components and slidably supporting the pin for axial movement only, a rotatable jack screw held against axial movement and having one end threaded in the end of the pin that is adjacent said means, and a manually operable ratchet mounted on the screw for turning it to withdraw the pin from said components.

2. An oil well derrick splicing device connecting perforated overlapping derrick components, comprising a splice pin extending through'said overlapping components to hold them together, a sleeve secured to one of said components and slidably receiving one end of the pin, the pin and sleeve being provided with a cooperating radial projection and longitudinal groove to keep the pin from turning, a rotatable jack screw held against axial movement and having one end threaded in said one end of the pin, and a manually operable ratchet mounted on the screw for turning it to pull the pin into the sleeve to disconnect said components.

3. An oil well derrick splicing device for laterally spaced pairs of perforated overlapping portions of separable derrick components, comprising a pair of spaced axially aligned pins each extending through one of said pairs of overlapping portions to hold them together, tubular means secured to one of said components and slidably receiving the inner ends of the pins, the pins being 4 I movable axially only, a jack screw having its opposite ends provided with right and left hand threads screwed into the inner ends of the pins, and a manually operable ratchet mounted on the screw a fixed distance from the opposite ends thereof and projecting radially from said tubular means, the tubular means having radial surfaces engageable by the opposite sides of the ratchet to hold the screw against axial movement, and the ratchet being oscillatable to turn the screw and thereby pull the pins into the tubular means to disconnect said components.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,265,794 Aske Dec. 9, 1941 2,268,796 Brauer Jan. 6, 1942 2,331,559 McEwen Oct. 12, 1943 2,594,443 Johnston Apr. 29, 1952 2,660,029 Geyer Nov. 24, 1953 

